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The injury crisis at the Broncos is so severe that club veteran Sam Thaiday managed to not only list a complete 13 players unavailable for selection, but he even assigned them to their respective positions.
He firmly believes that this makeshift team could outperform the healthy squad set to face the Bulldogs this Friday night.
After securing a gritty victory over the Tigers at Campbelltown last Saturday evening, coach Michael Maguire faced further setbacks with injuries to both Corey Jensen and Payne Haas.
Four of the Broncos’ injured players – Reece Walsh, Ben Hunt, Patrick Carrigan and Payne Haas. Getty/Nine
Haas is anticipated to be sidelined for up to eight weeks due to a medial ligament tear, while Jensen is likely facing a prolonged recovery from a pulmonary embolism (blood clot in his lung).
They join several others, including Reece Walsh, Grant Anderson, and Ben Hunt, in the injury list. Additionally, Patrick Carrigan is suspended until round nine.
In light of this, the Broncos have reached out to the NRL, seeking permission to include development players in their top-30 roster.
Thaiday’s list of injured players included Reece Walsh at fullback, Delouise Hunter and Jesse Arthars on the wings, Grant Anderson and Kotoni Staggs in the centres, Billy Walters and Ben Hunt in the halves, with Jensen and Haas at prop. Corey Paix was noted as hooker, while Aublix Tawha and Ben Te Kura occupied the back row, and Carrigan locked the scrum.
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Thaiday compiled this lineup before the official team lists were disclosed on Tuesday. Although the Broncos have included both Staggs and Arthars in the starting team for the Bulldogs match, Nine’s Adam Jackson reported on QLDER that Arthars is “definitely out.” The NRL still points to both players being injured without an estimated return date, and the club has not provided updates on either player’s condition on their official website.
Even though they will be given every opportunity to validate their fitness, their inclusion hints at the club’s struggle to fill the necessary squad of 22.
“They probably would beat the side that is available – it’s truly unbelievable the number of players missing,” Thaiday told QLDER.
“This is going to reveal the depth and resilience of the Broncos moving forward. It’s an exciting yet anxious time.”
Thaiday noted that injury challenges often create opportunities for players who might not ordinarily be deemed ready for first-grade play. Preston Riki and VJ Semu have both been selected for the six-man bench, while Cameron Bukowski made his debut the previous week.
“Without these injuries, Cam Bukowski wouldn’t get his chance,” Thaiday remarked.
“He probably started the season thinking, ‘It’s tremendous that I can train and be part of a pre-season with the Broncos. With Cameron Smith as a mentor and coach, I can learn a multitude of things from him.’ But now, pretty early into the season, he gets his opportunity to debut, and I have no doubt he’ll feature in many more games for the Broncos.”
Looking ahead, the Broncos are set to face a Bulldogs team keen to recover from an unexpected defeat against Parramatta last Sunday. They will also benefit from the return of their captain and standout centre, Stephen Crichton.
Injured Broncos XIII
1. Reece Walsh 2. Delouise Hoeter 3. Grant Anderson 4. Kotoni Staggs 5. Jesse Arthars 6. Billy Walters 7. Ben Hunt 8. Corey Jensen 9. Blake Mozer 10. Payne Haas 11. Aublix Tawha 12. Ben Te Kura 13. Patrick Carrigan
Broncos’ XIII for Bulldogs matchup
1. Jesse Arthars* 2. Josiah Karapani 3. Kotoni Staggs* 4. Gehamat Shibasaki 5. Deine Mariner 6. Ezra Mam 7. Adam Reynolds 8. Ben Talty 9. Cory Paix 10. Jack Gosiewski 11. Brendan Piakura 12. Jordan Riki 13. Xavier Willison
Compiled by SportArena.au
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